The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-26
A TALK ABOUT PARROTS

son, Miss wilson. ana MISS SnellaDerRer were
recontly in Venice, among the Americans do
ing" that city.
A TALK ABOUT PARROTS
Tho Best Varieties and How to Take Care
OF Them-Ovcrfed nirds.
The parrot population Of this city is esti-
mated at twenty Thousand. Tho Pollys. as
they are oil called, without distinction OF sex.
are Interesting subjects Of study. There are
good parrots and bad parrots. just ns there are
good children and bad children. Tho bad
parrot Ia ono which has not forgotten the
harsh. dscordant screams OF parrot language
In tho tropical forests, and indulges in them
throughout the nvelong dry. Ho Ia also the
possessor OF q limited vocabulary Of the
Polly wants q cracker" style, whose endless
reiteration is oven moro aGgroyatingly annoy
Ing than his natural scrcechinG and chatter
ing. bird like this In tho early morning can
make tho seeker for an extra nap believe that
twenty thousand parrots is too small On ostl-
mate OF tho city's parrot population.
The screechng nuisance can be discouraged
and ultimately reformed bv judiciously adj
minstered punishments. The vocabulary can
be extended and made interesting by careful
training. and some melodious and tuneful
whistlinG may DO taught Us a pleasant adjunct
to tho spoken word. Then the bad parrot
having become good. hard feelings will disap-
pear from the neigh borhood. The reason there
are 80 few good parrots is found in the great
mortality among those birds. While in the
process OF reformation and education they die
in such great numbers that q steady stream Of
recruits Is necessarily kept coming into tho
country. Tho result is to keep down the pro-
portion OF good parrots. birds that can talk
Considerably. swear intelligibly. sing some
thing, and whistle tunes;
by ilne parrot in front OF Joiforson Market
the other day. Stopping to l2ok at It his
fellow. when the atter suddenly. pS,rked i his
uproarious laughter. The owner Of the parrot,
John Morris. the florist, was for years q bird
s apse %oIs s Ges hisp
him Sam for short. His M name IS samuslJ
on account OF any impression on your part that
he Il in any o. o1pG as f excellent
Of their caro- and diet They get no broad. no
coffee. no, fruit. no vegetables, no hemp seed,
supply OF sand and gravel. Two-thirds Of the
feeding. some years ago carno to this con:
clusion. The birds that game to me. sick md
feverish. with ragged dull. and dirty plumage,
that oSerieeding was the first thought as to the
cause. In their confined state. having little or
no exercise, they suffer If they are stuffed with
1t occurred to me that canary seed contained
al the
make the. experiment. sick parrot that was
brought in to mo was chosen as a promising
s moafSs and nd was aa SieS shS
seemed bound to DIE anyway. ! thought ne
n ms4s as perish Es S' %s1
in clean cage and for twsnty-f9pr
tho bird would neither sta,rye nor get enough
canary seed. When the hemp seed was gone
that day the bird began picking at and playing
iessened the Quantity, OF hemp seed, and after
sd Pnnsers En9 hsads said
the bird gould not live on canary seed alone.
scS. sa ANY S sG rsaa SsS dd S III era
L have since repeated the treatment many
for my parrots. Several fanSiers and ladies
o se the bsnst S ana
ID DO parrot. have to be kept In very warm
"That is the popular belief, but my experi.
ence has been that parrots can be made
esaG !p Of enduring as much cold as any other
What Is you, opinion asito the merits OF the
There Sre Individual exceptions, but think
se saS and can Be- taught e tail Welt sing
but r r is sings. These birds die IN great
Ss hse rs as f
to their feeding. They get soaked bread. bread
and milk. crackers. and coffee and cracked
before shipment nine-tenths Of the coneign-
ments would come through all EiEht and keep keep
an sGSa tssn
regions. and are more easily Demonstrated and
YeSw odsn N.ps
parrot. put 6e q exeitab biz and nervous. His
ulary. The Single Yellow Head. o Central
American variety good bird AID maRy Of
also learn to sing and whistle"
,m "Ds parrots ever forget what they have ao-
Indeed they do. Many persons believe that
they get gHo;d talking biEd 1t XII, continue
t o saa has te Be- osn Bra
that has heen trained to talk and whistle and
sing would. II left 70 itself for . few months,
cries and screams OF It's Wild state" '>' 49, ''0
DO parrots breed in captiyity"
They have been DreQ IN france. but IL Is
a troublesome aud expensive task to do 1t.
Besides, the birds are so excitable and jealous
when mating that they become untitled for
pets They breed SO rapidly in such a wide
extent OF territory whore they remain wild
that the supply Is ample and cheap. and there
Is not sufficient inducement to try to raise
them here"
Anecdotes OF the Animal Kingdom.
Pennsylvania dog has legacy of 81 500 the inter.
being used for his support After his death the fund
goeB 10 q church.